Voice-over is priced per project and per usage, but the hourly equivalent for working US and EU voice actors runs $50–$250 — the huge spread reflects the market's two economies: e-learning and corporate narration priced per finished hour at the calm end, broadcast commercials priced by audience reach at the other.
The billable percentage is among the worst in freelancing: auditions are unpaid, and for every session hour there's studio setup, editing, retakes, and file delivery. Add booth treatment, microphones, and coaching, and the session fee has to fund an entire invisible production pipeline.
Your minimum hourly rate
$130/hour
Exact break-even: $129.34/hour — rounded up to the nearest $5.
How this breaks down
- Revenue you need to bill
- $99,333/yr
- — covers taxes (~25%)
- $23,333
- — covers expenses
- $6,000
- Billable hours per year
- 768h
Pricing tips for freelance voice actors
- Quote per finished minute or finished hour for narration and e-learning — never per studio hour.
- Price broadcast usage separately by media, market, and duration; a national ad is not a YouTube pre-roll.
- Include one round of pickups for script changes under 10%; charge session rates beyond it — script drift is real.
For the full method — including how to present higher rates to clients without losing the deal — see our guide to setting freelance rates. And when the work is done, invoice it properly.